Fairytale ending
by XxtaintedflamexX
Summary: Shad loves Link and dreams of their happily ever after through the hero’s long absence. Will the scholar ever get his fairytale ending? contains Male/male pairing


**Fairytale Ending**

Summary: Shad loves Link and dreams of their happily ever after through the hero's long absence. Will the scholar ever get his fairytale ending?

A/N: I wrote this because there are disgustingly few Shad/Link fics out there! Seriously! The only yaoi pairings available on demand with Link are Link/Sheik (3), Ganondorf/Link, and Dark/Link. All are great but we need variety people!!! Anyway, I hope you enjoy this spur of the moment fic :)

WARNINGS: contains romance between two people of the **same** gender and a little bit of citrus – just a smidgeon. ;)

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE LEGEND OF ZELDA OR ANY AFFILIATED PRODUCTS. ANY SIMILARITY TO REAL PEOPLE, LIVING OR DEAD IS PURELY COINCIDENTAL.

* * *

Ever since Shad had been a young boy, he had been obsessed with the written word.

He had never been the type to interact with others his age, preferring instead to immerse himself in works of fiction.  
His parents, proud of having such an intelligent son, had encouraged this by buying him fresh literature with their menial pay checks.

Every cursive letter entranced him – drawing him into a literary world where Heroes braved peril and triumphed.  
Above any other kind of book, above any genre, Shad adored his fairy tales.  
The Hylian boy would spend hours reading and re-reading the entrancing novellas, loosing himself in the illusion.

Shad sometimes considered himself to be a very sad child indeed.  
The only place he felt he belonged, where he could escape the taunts from the other children was an illusion.  
A beautiful dream nestled between worn pages.  
His fairytales were too important to him for any rude comments to dissuade him from spending hours obsessing over them.

After a while, a young Shad had turned his attention to historical records and ancient tombs.  
He learned new languages, used words that his peers had never even heard of and spent hours in the book shops.  
Those who knew him would often remark on how the now teenaged Hylian had a gift – a born scholar, blessed by Nayru.

None of them noticed, not even Shads parents, that the overly academic boy was becoming a socially stunted young man.  
Although he was well versed in Hylian mythology, the scholar was a novice in dealing with people.

Shad didn't care though.  
Shad had his books.  
Shad had his fairytales.

When Shad felt especially alone he would pick up his favourite old legend – 'the hero of time' and drift away.

Years passed and the scholarly hermit grew up, got a job, and was forced to interact with people.  
He could even say that he had friends now:  
Telma – a bawdy landlady who had taken him under her wing,  
Rusl – a fatherly Ordonian who occasionally passed through castle town,  
Ashei – a stoic looking girl from the Lanryu province,  
Auru – a kindly man who had travelled the world,

And then there was Link.

Every time Link and Shad met, he was reminded of a long idolised hero from his childhood books.  
The green clad man was the very epitome of valour; courageous, generous, warm, and strong.

Just being around the man left him with a warm nostalgic feeling – a safe feeling.

A loved feeling?

For the first time in his life, Shad was genuinely interested in something distinct from the pages he clung to like a lifeline.

_But if Link is like a storybook hero,_  
Shad pondered as he translated a book of Hylian lore in Telma's bar,  
_then surely he will end up with a princess..._

In all his long years of reading, never had the brave hero rode off into the sunset without a fair maiden in tow.  
Heroes don't profess their undying love to humble bookworms.  
That privilege is entirely reserved for nice, _female_ heroines.

The stories that used to inspire and enthral the Hylian now taunted him.  
His parchment refuge was conspiring against him and teasing him with happily ever after.

Scholars don't have a fairytale ending...

* * *

Shad took a reserved sip of his drink, having translated a particularly difficult sentence and leaned backwards in his comfortable chair.  
It was early evening, the penetrating dusk slowly quenching what little light remained of the day; the setting sun beckoning in the twilight.

The sight made the scholars heart clench uncomfortably; this time of the day always reminded him of Link.  
Everyday like clockwork, he would watch the glowing orb gradually extinguish itself and think about the green clad hero.

Where was he?  
What was he getting up to?  
Was he safe?

...When would Shad see him again?

Link had not stopped by Telma's bar for a good month now whereas he had used to stop by weekly.  
This had spread concern among the former members of the twilight resistance, who had become accustomed to the young Ordonians presence.  
Telma spent her days ranting about it to Shad who had taken to bringing his work over to her bar in the mornings and only leaving at closing time.

The scholar knew it was pointless and unhealthy to spend each day waiting for the hero to show up, but he could not bring himself to stop.  
After all, today could be the day that Link finally showed his face.

"I'm about to close up, hunny!"  
Telma called from behind the bar while washing a used glass.  
Shad slowly closed his book, silently disappointed but half expecting the hero's absence.

"Thank you very much Telma, I shall see you –"  
"Tomorrow, right?"  
The busty barmaid interrupted, already knowing the academic's response,  
"Are you ever gonna tell me why you're round here every day? Not that I mind the company, hun."

Shad avoided the question by 'accidentally' dropping his quill on the stone floor and leapt down after it.  
As much as he liked Telma, he was not sure that he was ready to talk about his feelings for Link.  
All he wanted to do was get back to his empty apartment and read a fairytale.  
A warm, safe, fairytale with no 'what if's?' or crippling loneliness.

Shad muttered a quiet farewell to the red-headed woman and quit the bar.

He knew the path to his apartment so well that he could navigate it in pitch black, so often had he trod it.  
There was something disgustingly routine about his life without the green clad hero – the whirlwind that had turned his life upside down with one smile.

Up thirteen steps.  
Turn left.  
forward twenty three steps.  
Turn left.

His world had shrunken down to the bar, his home, and whatever was in between.  
When had that happened?  
When had he become so reclusive?

Shad pushed his glasses further up his nose and he opened the door to his apartment.  
It was furnished purely for function with no decorations or unnecessary belongings – it's only occupants a multitude of records and documents piled higher than the scholar himself.  
The room was simple by design, two rooms: a bathroom and a bedroom/study.

Shad walked into the bathroom and began peeling off his many layered clothes.  
As usual, he avoided looking in the grimy mirror.  
He knew he was not good-looking, that he was no comparison to the beautiful princesses both in his books and in reality.  
Even if Link were to like men, what chance would he have?  
What chance would anyone have to win the heart of a man of such unearthly beauty?

He knew he was scrawny, too thin, too short – frail-looking underneath his layered clothes.  
His nose was too long; his lips too thin and dry.  
His hair was lank and dull.  
Round glasses could only hide so much, the deep purple accents on his lower eyelids betraying his restless and work filled nights.

"You've lost weight..."

Shad yelped and span around in a state of half undress – thankfully he had only removed his top!  
His eyes widened at the sight of the young hero in front of him.

He could hardly believe the Ordonian was back, that shining golden man before him could have easily been a delusion of his wish filled mind.

"L-link... Is it really you?"  
The scholar asked cautiously; hope bubbling up from his stomach.  
The hero smiled shyly at the older man, embarrassed at his state of undress.

"I went to the bar only to be met with Telma's wrath,"  
The blonde shuddered at the memory.  
Telma truly was a force to be reckoned with!  
"She insisted that I visit you, apparently you're wasting away."

Shad frowned a little.  
Granted he had lost weight over the months but it was nothing to be worried about.  
He especially did not want Link to worry about him.

"Telma is indeed a good friend, but I daresay she is worrying unnecessarily."  
"She's right though, Shad! You need to look after yourself more."  
A calloused hand reached out to touch the scholars cheek,  
"You're so pale..."

Shad trembled at the contact and flinched away.  
Link's sudden appearance was suddenly too much for him, the unexpected touch awakening feelings that he had fought to suppress.

The academic turned away from the young hero, cheeks flushed a deep cherry red.  
"I-if you would be as kind as to leave while I get dressed then I w-would be most grateful."  
Link shook his head in refusal,  
"No, I need to say this now. If I don't say this now then I'll never say it!"

Link took a deep, laboured breath,  
"I'm sorry, Shad. I've been avoiding you for a while now... It was wrong of me."  
The scholar wanted to turn around and ask the younger man to elaborate but something told him to stay frozen to the spot.  
"I needed time to come to terms with something, to try and understand this but..."

The hero paused with a frustrated grunt, as though he was suddenly incapable of coherent speech.  
"Maybe it'd be easier to just show you!"  
In one fluid movement, the half-naked scholar was spun around and greeted by the firm pressure of the Ordonians lips.

For the first time in Shad's life, he couldn't find any words – the sensation of kissing Link was beyond description.  
His lips were soft and warm, brimming with the love and acceptance that the Hylian had craved his entire life.  
A moist tongue traced the outline of his lower lip, begging for entrance by coaxing the twin rose petals that were Shad's lips apart.

Everything felt so surreal, as though all of the scholar's fantasies had come to life.  
Kissing the hero was all he had ever imagined it would be.  
It was like a fairytale ending where the damsel gets swept off her feet by a dashing young hero.

However, all fairytales have an ending.  
After every dream comes the waking.  
No fantasy can last forever.

After all, wishes are not always meant to come true.

* * *

"Shad honey," Telma whispered, attempting to rouse the sleeping man, "You fell asleep again. Get yourself home, and no more ale for you!"  
Shad raised a hand to his face and pretended to rub the sleep away from his eyes – disguising the hot tears that were threatening to spill down his cheeks.

It was just a dream...

Link had not returned.  
He had simply slept in a drunken stupor – his desperation for the hero haunting him even in his sleep.  
Shad admonished himself internally – despite all of his books and knowledge he was such a fool!  
There was no happily ever after for humble scholars!

There is no such thing as a fairytale ending...

* * *

A/N: well! There you have it! I originally wrote it as a happy ending but being the angst whore that I am I couldn't leave the main character happy! So what did you think? Be honest! I wrote this quite quickly so it's a little rough around the edges but it serves its purpose. ;)


End file.
